Devices are often lost or misplaced. Many devices, such as keys, television remote controls and cordless phones have a place where the device is typically kept, at particular times of day. Some devices may come with a base station (e.g., in the case of a telephone) that can be used to force the missing device, if within range, to emit a distinctive sound so that the device can be found. Such a system will fail, however, in the event that the lost device is sufficiently far away that it is outside the range of the base station or the sound generated by the lost device cannot be heard by a person in the vicinity of the base station.
A number of techniques have been proposed or suggested to assist a user with locating a lost or misplaced item. For example, the user may be required to clap or whistle to acoustically signal a locator device to provide a notification of the location of the item. Other systems employ a transmitting device that communicates a wireless signal to a receiving/locator device, which then responds with a visual or aural indication that the transmitted signal has been received. Such a system, however, requires the user to keep track of yet another object, i.e., the transmitter used in the locator system.
Key Finders, for example, are small electronic devices used to recover misplaced or lost sets of keys. Key Finders aim to reduce the time it takes to locate keys or other personal items without being obtrusive. For example, the key finders may emit a sound on-demand or otherwise guide a user towards the lost item.
Nonetheless, a need remains for a device to be able to determine for itself that it has become lost or misplaced and to provide an appropriate notification to an owner of its lost or misplaced status.